Feeding device for billet heating furnaces



Aug. 17,1943.

R; (5, LE TOURNEAU FEEDING DEVICE FOR BILLET HEATING FURNACES Filed June '25, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l I N V EN TOR -R. G. IeTourneau A TTORNEY5 Aug. 17, 1943. R. G. LE TOURNEAU FEEDING DEVICE FOR BILLET HEATING FURNACES Filed June 23, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

R. G LeYburn ea w trol unit I! is disposed adjacent the discharge end 7 of the furnace;'the control lever 23 for this unit upstanding therefrom and being connected with a push-pull rod fl which extends'to a point adjacent and above the apron 8 at thefront 'or adjacent said feed opening, a pusher bar extending transversely of theapron, a pairoftrans- 'versely spaced arms upstanding. adjacent the apron, said arms being pivoted'at their lower ends feed'end of the furnace, and at which end the feed controloperator' stands.

Pneumatic cylinders 25 are pivoted at their rear end on the'iurnaceframe 2 adjacent ,andf parallel to, but above the bars 14; the pistonr rod 2610f each cylinder being pivoted at its" outer end, as at 21, to the corresponding-arm I-2 intermediate theends of the latter. Each cyl-i inder 25 is-constantlysupplied with air pressure 'by a conduit 28, whereby the piston; and rOdjZS" normally tend to advance. V v Operation,

1 linfloperation oixthe ifurnacala'pluralitylof f "rowsof billets B, engaged in end toend; relation, -extendthrough; the furnaceiIrom-the f eed open ings Q to tl' e dis'charge ,openings 16;; such rows-of rim et a d i ri sed'i rela i ely alon si e b 8 a t nd a d'wi c ow'wi' hiniz h d -r a q -;"To d nceg e -rbws t rou h as a co d illetCi disD d' ;.ap

furnace; Thereupon thefpower control unit I1 is actuated to shortenthej cable reaches between, sheaves l-5 :andgl 6, Which results in {the arms [2- swinging forWardly 'andjadvancing -the pusher bar ilij "With advance of the pusher bar 'it en ea e th s ld b ts Gran mtt ou h Y openings 4. into the furnace;advancing-the corresponding row. The heatedbillets elp the-dis-' ,jeharge end jofthe furnace-maybe removed'in any suitable1manner with eachstepbystep ad- Vance of the rows through the ,furnace; a 7 V After each advancingstem-thepowercontrol 1 unit-isreleased, whereupon the power cylinder 25, which is, always energized, acts on arms l2 to swing the'same away from the furnace,rretracting the pushergbar-to its starting position.

1 Frorntheforegoingdescriptionjit will be read ily seen :thatr-IzhaVe produced a 'devicefassub stantiallyfulfills the objectsof the. invention as set forth herein.

, lWhile ithis' specification as may; irrrdetail the presentand preferred construction of theldevice,

still in practice such deviations from such detail maybe resorted to as do not-form a departure from the spirit of the'invention, asdefined-by the'appended claims.

Having thus described" myinvention, what I Letters'Patent'isz' 1 I 7 claimas new and useful and'de'sire to secure by LA device "for feeding membersto heated through a furnace having a fee'dopening; said I01 swinging movement'lengthwise 'of the furnace, linkspivotallyconnecting the end portions oithe pusher bar and the corresponding arms,

said arms 'beingrformed and mounted'so that the upper end of each armterminates at a point outwardly of the plane of the corresponding side of the furnace, a pull cable'reach extending from said'upperfendfot each arm to a point along the corresponding "side of thefurnace, and a power actuated winch' connectedwith and operative to simultaneously exert a'pull on said cable reaches. 3; A devic'er fori feeding members to be heated through a furnace having a feed opening, said 'device comprising an apron mounted in position adjacent 'saidfeed opening, a pusher bar extending' transverselyof the apron; afpair of transyersely spaced'flarrns upstanding adjacent the apron; said arms being pivoted at theirlower; ends for swinging, movement. lengthwise of the furnac l ks: p ota y, co n cting the-end porti ns 7 of the pusher bar and; the corresponding'j-arms, .said arms being formedandrnounted so that the upp'erjend of eacharrn terminates at-aapoint 011"- wardlya oi the plane of the. corresponding side ,Of'

e furn ce, a pullcab e rea h xt nd ng frdm said upper, end-of fleach arm to a point along the corresponding sideqof the furnace, a power actuated. winch -,c on. 1 c.te d with and operative to simultaneously exert apull ongsaid cable reaches,

and afconstantly ,energized pswer cylinderconnected with one fof said arms: and urging -the,,latter;in. a direction away from the ,furnacewj j4.,;A 'dQViCejfOI feeding members to jbegheated intoa furnace'havingfa' feed; opening, said device "comprising a member:,-support adjacent saidifeed opening, a pusher element mountedadjacent said support for reciprocating movement above the support toward and away irom said furnace; and means to reciprocate'said' pusher element; said, 'meansincludinga cable arranged as a blockand tackle connected so as to -adva'nce thepusher ele- J men't with"a l pull v oirzthelcable, 'a normally re;- leased power winchztowhich-the cable is Connected; and a constantly. energized power cylinder connected so as-to retract the. pusher element reliative to themember'support whenever the/winch :Iis'released.

' 5. A deviceior'feedirigfmembers mt sated device comprising an apron mountedin position adjacent said feed opening, a 'pusher barextend- ;ingl transversely of the apron, a pair of transversely spaced arms upstanding adjacent the apron, said arm's-being pivoted at their-lower ends for swinging r-movement lengthwise ofthe furnace, links'ipivotally connecting the: end portionso'f the pusher bar and the corresponding through a furnacehaving j a ,feedopenin'gysaid V vdevice comprising an apronmounted im osition into a fumacehaving'iafeed opening, saiddevice comprising {a member supporting apron mounted in cooperating relation-adjacent said feed opening'exteriorally of the furnace, a pusher element extending transversely over the apron, said pusher element being mounted for reciprocating mo've- 'ment lengthwise, of thefurha'cablock and tackle assemblies connectedat .oneendwith the pusher element adjacentopposite'ends thereof, said assemblies extending forward and being connected "at the other end with, the furnaca: said assemblies being reeved mm a single' 'cable, said cable fincludingfiicrossjreachextending from one asl sembly lto 'thellother directiohchanging pulleys mounted-on the furnace andgabout which pulleys said crossfreach :extends, one: end: of the f cable biI'lg dead ended from one assembly, and the other .endi of 'the' cable extending from the other assembly; a normally-1, released A power -"winch mounted? adj acentxthe, g furnace; :said. other. .end' of the cable being connected'to saidwinch', and 7 means arranged withsaidpusher elementoperative-to retract thezsama'g on the furnace device 7 feeding to be into a furnace having, a. feed; opening, said device comprising a'member supporting apron extend; f

ing out from the furnace in "cooperating relation to said feed'opening, .apusher'elementektending transversely over said apron} said element being sernblies being co'nnectedwith opposite-end porg sides of the"la'tter, iand a power winchto which said single actuating lead is connected;jthere be- 1 7 ing a crosslead between said assemblies, said cross lead being-'s'eparategfronr the actuating lead I ..2;$ i r l the :upp'erends-of said'arrns andi extending for-3 v awardly, iz'n ea'ns toll exert a puIY-onJsaidl cable reaChes Whereby to swing tlie' arms forwardly andadvance the pushenbar} and means to swing a said arms rearwardly-and retract the pusher bar upon release of said pullmeans. mounted for: reciprocating movement lengthwise or the furnace; a pair of blocktand tackle assem- V blies including a single actuating lead, said asg. V '10 tions of s id Dusherelement and extending for- V ward to connection 'with'the furnaceo'n opposite and extending vertically from: one assembly; g

- ,the'nce across the furnace. andfvertically to-thejg, other'assembly, and direction-changing pulleys for and on which said cross lead runs.

w 7 A billet feeding device 'for'afurnacehaving aieed opening in one end thereof, said device j I comprising a substantially horizontal apron mounted beyond said end of the furnace .in' 00- operating relation to saidopening, atpu'sh'er bar ends of the pusher bar, a block and tackl e assembly, connected with each arm adjacent its 'upper endand extending forwardly t'o; connection withlth'e furnace, "a single actuating lead for, said block and tajcklelassemblies, a 'power I viii/inch having. a normally released drum, 1 said extending transverselyfover' said apron; ajpair I of-transverselyspaced upstanding arm's disposed ;;beyond said one'end of theffurnace, said. arms being; pivoted adjacent their lower ends Ior swing-- ing movement lengthwise of the-furnace, ears v 7 on:saidfarmsi'intermediate their" ends, links piv- V cited-between saidears' and correspondingends: of the'pusher bancable reaches connected withii j r P e u a e;

singleactuating lead being=connectedflto said V vij d rum, anda constantly energized fluid pressure f power cylinder pivoted' adjac'ent one, of said arms; :the'pist'on r'od beingpivoted to said arm and-normally urging the-"latter inj a 'fdirectiong;

R BERTIG. fijro gnmu. t

a 8; A' billet' feeding device for a' furnaceihaving. a feed opening -,in onegend thereof, said device comprising 'a substantia-lly 1 horizontal apron; mounted beyond said end of the furnace 'incof operatingsrelatio'n t'o saidtopening, a pusher bar extending transversely over" said "apron, 'pair' of transversely spacedupstandingarmls, disposed T beyond 'sai dQone: endfof thei-furnace, said' a rrns-ff being pivoted adjacent-their lower ends for,

{swinging movement lengthwiseoif th furnace 'fanddiverging jupwardly to termination at points Y beyond the planes of the side's-of the furnace, ears on said-arms intermediatetheir ends,'.links V 7 5 pivoted"between .s'aidj ears and corresponding 

